Release my shards of childhood
by Akemi Maxwell
Summary: After sleepless days of typing up a document, Heero lets Duo read him a bedtime story. Chapters.
1. Default Chapter

Release my shards of childhood  
  
By: Akemi Maxwell, E-mail: angels_little_chibi@yahoo.com, Gundam Wing TM rightfully belongs to Sunrise and TV Ashi, Chapter one, Started: 2/11/03, Completed: 2/11/03, ~  
  
Heero's overworked eyes blinked furiously at the burning blue light of his laptop, in the study of their ten-room safe house. Having not slept in four days was really starting to sink in, but his mind told him no sleep until this document was finished. To Heero, not getting a job done is a serious crime. Much like not getting a mission done.  
  
His eyes drooped down to the keyboard, then back up to the screen. It hurt when he moved them. His body trembled slightly, his jaw ached and he felt like he had a knot in his stomach. From time to time, his fingers would hit the wrong key and he felt totally idiotic. He knew well that it was the brain that controlled movement-telling each finger to move in the wrong direction. He cursed.  
  
The door opened suddenly and it startled him. He hadn't been disrupted of his work since the first few hours he had started on the document.  
  
"Hey, Heero," a familiar throaty voice greeted.  
  
"Shhhh." Heero closed his eyes and rubbed their corners.  
  
Duo frowned. He put his school homework down on the table beside the door and walked over to him. Resting his chin on Heero's downy head, and his hands on the back of the chair, his cobalt eyes scanned the data. "Wow," he said suddenly. Duo's vocal cords vibrated when he talked and it massaged the back of Heero's head. It was soothing. "You've been in here the whole time? You haven't gotten any sleep have you?" Duo said looking down at the moving fingers on the keyboard, still perched on Heero's head. Duo stood up and began separating Heero's hair. Heero didn't mind the grooming. Duo took a sniff and jumped back sticking his nose in the air and his tongue out in disgust, one eye closed. "Yuk! When was the last time you bathed? You smell like scalp,"  
  
Heero shook Duo's hands off, the instant he heard this unnecessary insult. "I smell fine!" He muttered.  
  
"Yeah, for a dog that is," Duo turned back to the table and took a seat. "Now for some homework," he said that unenthusiastically, cracking his knuckles.  
  
Heero didn't mind the comment about smelling like a dog. He'd been called such things many times when he was little, by Odin Lowe. He shook his head to get rid of the memories trying to break through his psychological brick wall, separating his emotions from everything else. He's not going to let that wall crack. Not yet.  
  
He listened to Duo's hate-filled mutters for homework before beginning to type again. He was almost done.  
  
Duo let out a frustrated scream and threw a book hard against the wall. It looked like it was flying about 50mph. It landed right beside him. "Damn you, literature!"  
  
Heero leaned over and picked up the book. Heero read the title silently while Duo's curses filled the background, "Little Red Riding Hood"  
  
Heero turned to Duo. "What's this?"  
  
Duo stopped his rambling and looked at his troublesome book. "Oh, that?" he said sarcastically, "That's the stupid book my English teacher wants everybody to write an essay on!"  
  
"Hn." Said Heero. He kept typing, his eyes shifting from the computer to the book. There was something about the book that made him want to open it.but Duo said it was a stupid book and Heero was just learning about being "cool" and didn't want to already ruin his reputation at school. Heero decided it was obsolete.  
  
Duo, finally calm, yawned and picked up his pencil. Seconds later, he heard an unfamiliar yawn. He realized it was Heero. Duo made a fake, but convincing yawn and waited. Four seconds after he had finished, a replying yawn floated in the air. Duo turned around, an idea striking his head. "Hey, Heero?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Do.do you want me to read that story to you?"  
  
Heero turned his head and glared Duo in the eye.  
  
There was a still silence.  
  
Heero pressed the alter key. ".Okay,"  
  
This shocked Duo, but he smiled, a glee filled his heart and he fought himself to control it. "Go take a shower first,"  
  
Heero frowned, but got up anyway and headed for the bathroom.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Duo, with some work, got a content Heero in the tub, jammies, and tucked snuggly into his bed with Wing Zero print on it. Duo sat on a chair next to the bed and shook Heero to keep him awake. "You want to hear the whole story, don't ya'?" Duo opened the book.  
  
Heero listened, not missing a word of the story. He began to think. Was this a weird thing to do? He was almost an adult anyway. But, he's never read or been read a story before. All he's been reading is biographies and documents on the last few wars.  
  
"'Grandma, what big eyes you have!' said little Red Riding Hood. 'All the better to hear you with!' replied the big Bad Wolf."  
  
Now, he suddenly realized that he liked the story. How could that be? Who ever heard of a teenage boy liking fairytales? Heero shook the thought out of his mind and listened to the rest of the story.  
  
"The lumberjack killed the Wolf." Duo read.  
  
Heero began to get tired and his eyelids drooped. Finally he heard "The end" and knew he was being dismissed to slumber. He allowed sleep to flow over him and tell his entire body to finally rest.  
  
Duo shut the book, smiled and gently tiptoed out of 01's room and into the study. Looking at the blue screen of the laptop, Duo went up to save and softly pushed it shut.  
  
Owari 


	2. chapter two

Chapter two Release my shards of childhood  
  
By Akemi Maxwell, email: angels_little_chibi@yahoo.com. Gundam Wing TM belongs to Sunrise and TVAshi. All rights reserved. ~  
  
Heero Yuy opened the refrigerator and reached for a jar of pickles. He opened up the cabinet overhead and took down a bag of bread. Soon, bread, cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, just recently cooked bacon, mustard and mayo, lay about the counter. Heero worked fast, his stomach ordering him to put layer after layer of cheese.  
  
Finally done, he admired his handy work and grabbed and napkin. Wrapping the sandwich up he opened up the cabinet under the sink and grabbed a soda from one of the boxes. He heard laughter and singing.  
  
Heero was confused and he looked out the window, seeing Duo play jump rope with two little girls is the back yard. What were they doing on his property? Obviously Duo invited them into the back.  
  
The girls looked about seven. Duo held one end of the rope while the first girl held the other. The second little girl started to jump. "Strawberry soda with cherries on top. Who's your boyfriend? I forgot! A, B, C." the little girls sang even Duo joined in.  
  
Heero leaned on the counter and took a bite of his sandwich, observing the scene.  
  
"It's your turn! It's your turn!" the girls chorused.  
  
Duo laughed and stood in front of the rope. "Oh, c'mon! I'm too fat to jump!"  
  
The girls giggled and started to swing the rope.  
  
"Whoa!" Duo wasn't ready and he jumped over the rope as high as he could so he wouldn't get tangled in it and trip.  
  
The girls began to sing, "My mother--your mother live across the lane."  
  
Duo fought to keep up with the rope but ended up landing on the rope anyway. He caught a glimpse of Heero. "Hey, bud, c'mon out and play! It's fun!"  
  
Heero ducked his head. Duo went over two the window and stuck his head inside. Heero was sitting on the tile floor of the kitchen. Duo saw the sandwich on the counter and took a bite next to another pair of teeth marks. "Mm, good. C'mon, you know you want to!"  
  
Heero couldn't give into his feelings. Sure, everyone thought jump rope was for girls, but he knew they were wrong. Would it be all right to play jump rope? Dr. J never let Hero have any toys or fun. He said they were evil and that they made you weak. The war is over and he would be able to play again, right?  
  
Heero stood back up. "You're on!"  
  
They walked back to the little girls and they laughed. Heero wanted to observe more first before he started. Finally he got it down and it was his turn. He got behind the jump rope and waited. Duo was swinging one end of the rope. First the rope went back and forth to gain speed and it was on. It went fully around and Heero could sense where it was. Something told him to jump and he followed that sense.  
  
The rope went under his feet. Heero's heart pounded and he felt excited. Was this actually.fun? Yes, it must be! This must be the fun Duo was talking about! Heero was trying to keep up with the rope while Duo and the girls told him to jump when the rope went around.  
  
Wufei stuck his head out of his bedroom window. "Kisama! Stupid girlie men! Stop playing that idiotic game and get both of your asses in the house! Make me some lunch!"  
  
Heero and Duo frowned and led the girls out of the backyard. They went to go play with other kids. Heero and Duo retreated into the house.  
  
Heero felt content. It was nice to get out of the house once and a while.  
  
He washed the dishes, looking out the window in front of him, thinking about all of the fun he had had.  
  
Tomorrow he would buy a jump rope before he went to work!  
  
Owari.  
  
Wait until the next chapter! Ice cream!!! 


	3. chapter three

Chapter three  
  
Gundam Wing TM belongs to Sunrise and TVAshi, all rights reserved.  
  
~  
  
A sleepy Heero yawned and buried in face in his pillow. He waited two minutes before looking up to check the time. It was exactly seven o' clock. He flipped over onto his side and curled into a tight ball, the sheets tightly wrap around him.  
  
Two people burst into the room. Duo was screaming in pure terror, with an angry Wufei yelling threats and chasing close behind. They both jumped over Heero's bed five times and back out the door.  
  
"What did Duo do this time?" Heero said to himself. He was guessing Duo probably broke one of Wufei's Nataku statues. He got up and shook his head. He felt sleepy, but he had to get up.  
  
So he slowly dressed and went downstairs. The strong smell of freshly made coffee attracted him to the kitchen first. He grabbed a coffee mug and hurriedly poured the stuff in. He sat in his usual chair and waited patiently for his coffee to cool a little. He hates it when he burned his mouth first thing in the morning.  
  
Quatre was his cheery self and must have gotten a full nights rest, for he was practically everywhere a once. First washing the dishes, then vacuuming the living room, watering the plants, tending to Duo's every whim and fetching the paper. "What are you going to do today?" he asked.  
  
Heero looked up. He obviously had no clue. "I don't have anywhere to go, I mean, I don't have any business to do."  
  
Quatre shrugged with a smile and started cracking eggs. He did everything smiling. It actually lifted everyone's spirits when he did. Especially when Quatre and Duo did it.  
  
Duo himself walked in holding superglue and the broken pieces of one of Wufei's Nataku statues. He took his normal seat, across from Heero and placed the pieces on the table. He stared at the pieces, trying to figure out where the chunks go. He saw Heero staring at him. He blushed with embarrassment, "Uh, can you help find where the pieces go, uh, please?"  
  
Heero shrugged and picked up a piece. "You know you shouldn't touch Wufei's stuff, Duo."  
  
"I know," Duo pouted, "But I can't help it, he has tons of cool stuff in there and I can't help picking them up," Duo glued a hand back on. "Are you.going to do anything today?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, I'm going to the park to get some fresh air, plus it's fun. Sometimes you can meet sexy women there, not that you're interested. Would you like to come? C'mon. lot's of sexy women," Duo persuaded.  
  
Heero shrugged. Meeting women wasn't a priority yet. But what else was there to do? Heero always loved to hang out with Duo. In a way, Duo was almost like a big brother, teaching him things about human life that he never knew.  
  
"Okay,"  
  
Duo smiled. "Aw, you're my best bud! C'mon, give me a hug!" Duo reached across the table and Heero scooted away.  
  
Heero frowned, "I don't think so,"  
  
Duo snickered and glued the last piece of the statue back together. ~  
  
The two left the house at ten. They walked down the streets, passing amusing shops and avoiding suspicious people. They both hated the car, for how fast it was; you couldn't breathe the fresh air, you couldn't say hello to people passing you, you were surrounded by metal, and it was good to walk anyway.  
  
The black gates of the park were open and little kids skipped in and out. Heero looked beyond the gate, into the large fields of grass and flowers.  
  
As they were passing, Duo spotted a girl sitting on a bench alone, reading a book. "Hey, check out that chick!" Duo whispered to Heero. Heero couldn't help flashing a grin. He waited five minutes before Duo came back with a red hand mark on his face.  
  
"You're such a wolf," Heero scorned.  
  
"Yeah, I know," was the only thing Duo said.  
  
Soon they found an empty bench to sit down. They looked over the fields and watched the children tumbling in the grass. Heero yawned and closed his eyes. The sun was so warm that it was making him sleepy again.  
  
Duo heard the familiar sound of the ice cream truck. A thought popped into his head. "You stay here, I'll be right back," He took off.  
  
Heero just nodded in his doze. He opened his eyes to watch the kids. A woman passed by and for a second he thought she was Relena. But no, it was another blonde. Heero looked back at the kids. Relena never seemed to chase him anymore. Was that a good, or bad thing? He knew she loved him, but her lack in stalking was beginning to scare him. After all, Heero never.told her that he actually loved her. Did she get fed up with waiting and run into somebody else? Has she forgotten about him?  
  
"Hey!" Duo sat down next to him in his hand he held two ice cream cones.  
  
Heero's curiosity made him forget the sad memories. Duo handed him a pink ice cream cone. "It's strawberry,"  
  
Heero took it and stared at it. Duo frowned. "Uh, Heero, you eat it."  
  
Heero tried to bite into it, but he jerked back and shook his head. "It's so cold, it hurts my teeth."  
  
"No, silly! You lick it!"  
  
So, the to silly boys licked their ice cream. Heero was practically finished. He ate the last of the cone. Duo stared at him, trying to hold back laughter.  
  
"What?"  
  
Duo pointed at Heero's face. Pink ice cream tipped the end of his nose. Heero wiped it off quickly and Duo laughed. Heero attacked Duo, getting him into a playful headlock. Heero threw him to the ground and Duo tried to crawl away. Heero grabbed his right foot and dragged him across the grass field.  
  
Little kids piled up onto Duo's back without warning and Heero pulled harder so he could haul their weight. They giggled and Duo laughed trying to grab onto the grass.  
  
At the end of the day, Heero and Duo marched home. Both of their clothes were full of grass stains.  
  
Heero was content and wanted nothing but a nice hot bath. He licked the corner of his mouth, washing off the last of the tasty ice cream.  
  
Owari 


End file.
